Lock



May 31, 1960 R. K. GRAY ETAL LOCK Filed Dec.

M 1 R O Y m DJ.

ME mm RR m 3 LOCK Filed Dec. 11, 1957, Ser. No. 702,153

8 Claims. (Cl. 70-86) This invention relates to locks and, in particular, to

locks adapted for mounting in structures formed of sheet material. 4

Locks used with sheet material structures, as desk drawers and the like, generally have a bolt whose shape resembles that of the letter T and are often referred to as T-bolt type locks. The bolt member has a substantially enlarged transverse head portion which effects a locking operation when it is extended into and retained by a suitable co-operating recessed element. The mechanism for moving the bolt to this locking position and for withdrawing it therefrom to an unlocked position is conventionally housed in a tubular barrel which extends through the front wall of the structure, as a desk drawer, on which the lock is installed. A difliculty arises in the insertion of the lock through this opening, due to the fact that the bolt head has a transverse dimension greater than the diameter or transverse extent of the opening. Because of this, such locks have been arranged so that the bolt may be installed therein after the housing is inserted through the opening. This arrangement has not been fully satisfactory because of the fact that special structures must be provided for permitting this method of assembly in the field, and such multiplicity of parts increases the material handling problem, permits a greater chance of loss of the elements, and consumes more labor in the installation process.

The principal feature of this invention is the provision of a new and improved T-bolt lock.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such a lock having the bolt retained in association therewith, and which is arranged to permit the ready insertion of the bolt and housing through an opening in the structure with which it is to be used.

A yet further feature is that the bolt is provided with a novel notch arrangement permitting su'ch insertion through the opening. 7

Still another feature is the provision of such a lock having such a bolt which extends laterally outwardly in one direction only from the housing when the bolt-is in the locking position.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig; 1 is a fragmentary, front elevation of an application having a lock embodying the invention installed therein;

Fig. 2 is avertical section taken approximately along the line 22 of Fig. l; v

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the lock;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the bolt thereof;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the bolt; and 1 Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing two steps in the installation of the lock in the application.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, as disclosed in the drawings, a T-bolt type lock generally designated 10 is shown mounted on a structure generally v 2,938,373 Patented May 31, 1960 designated 11, herein shown as a portion of a desk drawer. The lock is arranged to be inserted through a suitable opening in the front wall 11a of the drawer, with the bolt installed in the lock, so that when the lock is properly mounted therein the bolt may be extended through a suitable bolt opening in the drawer into a suitable recess 12 of a co-operating member 13.

More specifically, drawer 11 comprises a vertically extending front wall 14 having an opening 15 therethrough at a predetermined distance below the upper edge. Extending rearwardly from the upper edgeof front wall 14 is a horizontal wall 16 which has, at its rearward edge, a vertically depending flange 17. Wall 16 is provided with a bolt opening 18 which is adapted to be aligned with female element 12 of member 13. Drawer member 11 may be formed of a suitable sheet material such as sheet metal, as may be member 13.

Lock 10 comprises a generally tubular barrel 19 having a radially enlarged outer portion 20. The barrel is adapted to pass freely through opening 15 in front wall 14 until outer portion 20, which is preferably slightly greater in transverse extent than opening 15, abuts front wall 14 surrounding the opening.

g It is preferable that the barrel 13 be fixed in opening 15 against rotation about its longitudinal axis and with the top portion of the barrel maintained in the uppermost position. To this end, the barrel is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite, vertically extending flats 21,. and opening 15 is provided with a pair of corresponding. diametrically opposite straight side wall portions 22. As best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, barrel 19 has a relatively large diameter mid-portion 23 in which flats 21 are formed, and a relatively smaller diameter inner end portion 24 with a shoulder 25 intermediate the mid and inner end portions. The diameter of inner end portion 24 is preferably comparable to the lateral spacing between flats 21.

Means are provided for retaining barrel 19 in fixed association with drawer 11. As best seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the retaining means comprises a pair of horizontally extending, diametrically opposite slots 26 in midportion 23 spaced rearwardly from outer portion 20 of the barrel a distance comparable to the thickness of drawer front wall 14. A bifurcated retaining clip 27 is provided with legs 28 arranged to extend longitudinally through slots 26 and laterally outwardly therefrom to abut the inner surface of drawer wall 14, thereby preventing longitudinal outward movement of the barrel through opening 15. As front portion 20 of the barrel precludes, longitudinal inward movement thereof and flats 21 pre elude rotational movement thereof, barrel 19 is, thus, fixedly retained in the drawer 1'1. Flange 17 extends downwardly from upper wall 16 preferably a relatively short distance so that clip 27 may be readily installed or removed as desired. 7

Inner end portion 24 of barrel 19 is arranged to define v a vertically extending channel 29 in vertical registry with bolt opening 18 of drawer horizontal wall 16' and the female lock element 12 of the co-operating application member .13. As best seen in Fig; 3, channel 29 com prises an undercut guideway having an inner portion 30 and an outer portion 31. A T-bolt 3 2 is provided with a vertically extending stem portion 33 having a horizontal T-shaped cross section with an enlarged portion 34 received in inner portion 30 of channel 29 and a reduced portion 35 received in outer portion 31 of channel 29.

I At the upper end of stem 33, T-bolt 32 is provided with ahead 36 having a substantial transverse extenhfwhich is preferably substantially greater than the diameter 'of opening 15 in drawer front wall 14. At the upper end of stem 3-3, immediately adjacent head 36, enlarged portion 34 thereof is provided with a notch 37. The depth of notch 37 is determined by the spacing of the diagonally opposite. outer corner 38- of head 36 therefrom and is 9 preferably such that the spacing therebetween is comparable to or just slightly smaller than the diameter of opening 15. n

T-bolt 32 is vertically positionable by means-o fa conventional plug 39 housed in barrel 19 to extend forwardly from channel 29 to outer portion 20 f the bar rel. Plug 39 may be provided with a conventional key slot 40 for reception of a suitable key to effect rotation of the plug mechanism relative to the barrel. At itsinner end, adjacent channel 29, plug 39 is provided with a lug 41 which extends rearward-1y from the plug into a suitable slot 42 in stem 33 of the T-bolt. Rotation of plug mechanism 39 causes lug 41 to move circumferentially about the longitudinal axis of the plug, and the vertical component of this motion is transmitted to stem 33 by the engagement of lug 4;l.with slot 42, thereby to effect the desired vertical positioning of the T-bo-lt.

Because of the novel arrangement of lock 10, the installation of the lock in drawer 11 is extremely simple. As best seen in Fig. 7 (dotted lines), head 36 of the T- bolt is inserted through opening 15 of the drawer front wall 14 until corner 38 of the T-bolt head and notch 37 of the stem are juxtaposed to diametrically opposite portions of the opening 15. As the spacing between corner 38 and the inner portion of notch 37 is comparable to or smaller than the diameter of the opening, the T-bolt head may be swung on through this position until the entire head 36 and projecting portion of stem 33 are received inwardly of front wall 14. The inner end portion 24 of barrel 19 may now be moved longitudinally through opening 15 and swung upwardly until head 36 of the T -bolt passesinto and through bolt openingls in thelhorizontal wall 16 of the drawer member 11' (Fig.7, full lines) Longitudinally' inward movement of barrel 19 may now be continued until head 36 is fully extended through bolt opcning'18 and barrel outer end 20 abuts the portion of wall 14 surrounding openingy15, whereuponclip 27 may be installed in slots 26' of barrel mid-portion 23 to retain the lock in position. 4

Depending on factors, such as the thickness of the material of which the walls of drawer 14- are formed, it may be necessary to manipulat e plug 39 during the installation of the lock in thedrawer to adjust the positioning of T-bolt 32 in facilitating its introduction through bolt opening 18. p

In certain instances, it may be desirable tocover the rear portion of lock by means such as a plate (not shown) secured to flange 17 to extend downward therefrom rearwardly of the lock. In certain applications, such as metal desk drawers; pencil trays are provided which serve this purpose.

While we have shown and described certain embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A lock for use in an element having a front plate provided with an opening, comprising: a plug; a barrel receiving said plug and having an elongated portion adapted to extend through said opening; and a T-bolt having a stem operatively associated with the plug in said barrel and having an outer transversely enlarged portion the transverse extent of which is substantially greater than the maximum extension across said opening, the bolt having a lock and an unlock position, said stem extending laterally outwardly in one direction only from the said elongated portion when the bolt is in the lock position, said stem having a width no greater than the maximum extension across said opening and being provided with a notch in an edge thereof adjacent said transversely enlarged portion which provides a minimum lateral extent of the T-bolt such as to allow said bolt and barrel to be inserted through said opening.

2. A look for use in a closure element having a thin front plate provided with a circular opening, comprising: a plug; a barrel receiving said plug and having an elongated portion adapted to pass through said opening; a bolt having a stem portion extending perpendicularly out,- wardly from the said elongated portion of the barrel and a transversely enlarged outer end portion, the transverse extent of which is substantially greater than the diameter of said opening, said stern portion having a width no greater than the diameterof said opening and being provided with a notch in an edge thereof adjacent the end portion, the distance between the inner end of the notch and the most remote point on said end portion being less than the diameter of the opening whereby said bolt is readily-insertable through said opening.

3. The lock of claim 2 wherein the stem portion of the bolt comprises an elongated bar having a slot extending transversely thereof and said plugis provided with a lug for co-operation therewith to effect longitudinal displacement of the bolt.

- 4. A T-bolt for use in a lock adapted to extend through an opening in a thin wall, comprising: a stem having a width no greater than the maximum extension across said opening and being provided with a notch in an edge thereof, and a head at one end of the stem having an extension in a direction transverse to the longitudinalextent 0f the stem substantially greater than the maximum extension across said opening, the spacing between the notch and the portion of the head most remote therefrom being less than the maximum extension across the opening.

5. The T-bolt of claim 4 wherein the notchis adjacent the head.

6. The T-bolt of claim 5 wherein thehead is arranged so that the portion thereof most remote from the notch is a diagonally outward corner relative to the notch.

7. A lock for use in a closure element having a front plate provided with a generally circular opening, comprising: a' plug; a barrel receiving said plug and having an elongated portion adapted to extend through said opening; and a T -bolt operatively associated with the plug to be disposed selectively in a locking and an unlocking position, said T-bolt including a stem portion and a transverse; outer end portion, the transverse extent of the end portion being substantially greater than the diameter of said opening, the dimension of the bolt from the juncture of the stem and end portion at one, side of the bolt to the outer end of the end portion at the opposite side of thebolt being smaller than the diameter of said opening whereby said'bolt is insertable through said opening.

8. A lock as set forth in claim 7 wherein the barrel comprises a tubular member and is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite slots, the lock being further provided with, a bifurcated clip having legs engaging said slots and extending transversely of the barrel outwardly therefromto engage a surface of the front plate and retain thelock' therein against movement in one direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent Cawley May 1, 1956 

